After The Applause

The Oresteia is one of the oldest surviving triology of plays in western literature, written by the ancient greek playwright Aeschylus. It felt it was only a matter of time before the masterful adapter and director Simon Stone would produce a production of the material, after several triumphs with other greek tragedies such as Phaedra and Medea. I am a huge fan of Greek tragedies and have watched many over my time as a theatre-goer turned critic and I have to declare that The Oresteia is my favourite that I have seen to the point where it has been 2 days since I left that theatre and I am still thinking about it.

Simon Stone’s writing is absolutely stunning. The story takes place over 10 years and follows the demise of a very wealthy yet disjointed family, starting in 2016 with a birthday party and ending in 2026. The play shifts through many flashbacks with each one vital to understanding certain character’s motives and roles in the horribly tragic demise of the Middletons. Stone’s shift to a modern setting makes the play feel very haunting, we recognise the phones they use to call each other, the references to Vladimir Putin and the Ukranian war and there is even a reference to the COVID-19 lockdown. It is a normal modern family essentially plunged into a greek tragedy and I feel this makes the play as a whole feel more realistic and frightening.

The acting in this production is nothing short of phenomenal. This play is so emotionally draining and very haunting, not just because of Stone’s immense crafting through script and direction but also due to its fabulous cast. David Morrisey plays the alcoholic patriarch whose detatchment from reality causes him to forget entirely about his family, his monologues about suicide and suffering are wonderfully read and his exhaustion translates onto the audience. His horrible manipulative wife, Monty, is masterfully played by Mary-Louise Parker who brought me to tears towards the end, her best acting was in Act II where I was in awe of her incredible range of emotion. Archie Madueke and John Macmillan play flawed son and father duo Lorenzo and Jerome, their chemistry and hate for one another especially in Act I was brilliant yet horrible to watch and Archie’s character arc was presented not only through costume but also his posture and his fury in the final scenes of the play.

By the way you may be wondering why I am being very vague and secretive about the plot, it is because you simply must go watch this and I am keeping it spoiler free so you do!!

My two star actors of the play are Rosie Sheehy as Alice and Tom Glynn-Carney as Augie. I think Rosie has one of the most difficult characters to play, Alice is emotionally all over the place and at times too immature to navigate without her younger brother by her side despite being 5 years his senior. She is a character whose true personality is kept very hidden until the final acts where she shines brilliantly and in the final scenes she is just spectacular. I will not be surprised if she gets nominated for an award for her performance as she captivated me entirely. Now onto the unbelievable Tom Glynn-Carney.. what an actor! Augie is a young boy who goes off to Afghanistan and returns a shell of what he used to be, we see flickers of his emotion come through as he tries to reconnect with his family but it is too late, his body is taken over by a need for violence. Tom manages to capture this violent soldier taking over a young man’s body as Augie screams at his mother then begs her to hold him, or kisses Lorenzo but then pushes him away. Augie is a crucial character to the play but the way Tom portrays this complicated mess of a man is just unbelievably talented.

Another vital part to this production is the set and I will say this, it is my favourite set I have ever seen for a play. Simon Stone is known for encasing his characters within glass walls, seen recently in his production of Phaedra, this means that the actors are heavily microphoned allowing them to whisper or talk adding to this idea of us eavesdropping in on family matters. This effect is furthered by the fact the set is a very large rotating open plan house where we look into all the different rooms. The transition for scenes is done simply by the stage turning and I adore the fact that as the climax of the play reaches the house spins faster and faster as if it is about to collapse, like the family already has. Lizzie Clachan’s set design is a masterclass in embedding a set to fit in with the director’s vision and therefore allowing the production to feel seamless.

When The Oresteia came to previews in July there was a lot of talk about its very long running time, with the first preview being over 4 hours, and this has been something that has concerned a lot of people and provided apprehension when booking it. I will be honest I too was a bit worried reading the run time was, after press night, still over 3 hours and a half, however I will say now that you will not notice. Simon Stone arranges this play into 3 acts with two 15 minute intervals breaking them apart, each act slowly revealing more and more flashbacks and vital moments for the characters. I got to the first interval and just wanted to launch back into the next act, it leaves you wanting more and adds to the dramatic reveals that take place in the final act.

Act III is one of the best hours in a theatre I have had, I don’t think I blinked! That was until I began crying, it all got a little bit much as there is a lot of blood, murder, rage and shouting, as you would expect from a good old greek tragedy. The acting in this final act is a class above as well, as is the writing and you wonder how on earth did they manage to make this better!

MY VERDICT:
When I come out of a play and I can’t stop talking about it, it is usually a very good thing. The Oresteia is one of the finest theatre productions I have had the honour to witness and whilst the long runtime may put you off, trust me it is so very worth it. My advice would be go in there and give it your full attention, don’t miss a single line as every line Stone writes means something and leads to the tragic ending this story has. Simon Stone is one of my favourite directors and theatre-makers and this a clear example why, his style and direction is just sublime and he combines a cast of 9 actors and they all excel and produce an electrifying 3.5 hour performance. I recommend a lot of plays but this is a very high recommendation from me, if you love a tragedy and enjoy watching fabulous engaging yet also haunting acting then get down to the Bridge theatre before the 14th September. As soon as you step into the theatre you will see why I was so very blown away by the set!!